I’m back from the multifarious adventure that was Gašper’s homeland, Slovenia, and would like to take you on a visual tour of my second day in Ljubljana, where we spent much of our vacation. We stayed in a small basement apartment owned by his family, which we found decorated with flowers and fruit. A welcome sight after a night of non-sleep before our very early morning flight, and the first hint of how lovely these people are. And if that …
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Just a little update while I take a green-tea-and-sesame-pudding break from final packing hour. I’ve taken on the role of Chief Relocation Officer while G finished up last-week deadlines at his soon-to-be-former job, and this week was all about catching him up on my research and the tying up of loose ends, namely: Initiating the application for a bank account, which is essential for renting an apartment in Dublin More apartment browsing! Still undecided, but here is a view at …
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Micron is my beloved space-cockroach, my favorite nano-beast, the one and only chihuahua of my heart. It’s Day One of Ireland-related planning, and, of course, dog-travel is the first point of order. As of 3:15PM, I’ve spent about four hours researching, getting quotes, and talking with vets to fully understand what it takes to move a small dog from California to Dublin. Turns out it’s an expensive pain in the royal butts, but it could have been worse: until last …
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I’m writing the first half of this while convincing myself to drink two more glasses of water with promise of a nightcap. Dehydration is not my usual game, but I’ve been at my desk for seven solid hours wrapping up a commission, with three more to go in an attempt to complete as many of these as possible this week, because next week marks the beginning of mad preparations for Operation I. Rewind to seven months ago. My steady writing …
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The first time I visited the Paris catacombs, it was the summer of 1999 and I was spending one month riding the EuroRail and sleeping in hostels (and on floors, and in parks) while backpacking across six European countries with my best friend. It was the greatest thing we could think to do after my graduation – our goal was to visit as many of the attractions listed in the Weird Europe travel guidebook as we could – so we …
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Europe was lots of fun and Toledo is a place I hope to return to and get lost in for a few days; I’ve never in my life seen such magical light. And speaking of never – I will never post my Eurozoom 2013 photos if I feel obligated to write long accompanying posts – with two weeks to finish three pieces for group shows, well… Ain’t nobody got time for that. I know I owe this place and you …
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I’ve been back from China for two weeks and the jet lag is finally lifting its sticky film from my brain. Back on LA time, too, though Beijing hours still occasionally wake me up around 3AM – wondering who and where I am. For a few days, all I could do was sloth and sleep, avoiding email and calls to the best of my ability, which is to say not all that well. Duties, outstanding commissions and Kickstarter incentives flopped …
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Good morning, Biorequiem navigators! It’s been one intense month around these parts, as you can probably tell by the radio silence. Thanks to your generous contributions and help in getting the word out about The Secret Guide to Alternative Beijing – it’s HAPPENING. In fact, it’s happening tomorrow. At this moment, I’m in a tornado of packing and tying up loose ends before boarding a plane for a one-month-long journey in China. My hair is freshly dyed to resemble a …
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Hello again, my bioluminescent plankton of the cosmos! It is I, your navigatrix, here to tell you that the next two months are going to be so jam-packed that I may have to continue this sporadic manner of posting until Autumn. It always seems to me that SDCC kicks Summer into gear and everything becomes absurd for several months. This is certainly the case this year, and I’m going to do my best to keep you abreast of pertinent goings …
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Spent the weekend next to the California/Mexico border, bathed in the light of the largest, lowest moon of the year, at a desert hideaway. Around fifty people drove down from LA to celebrate comrade Alexandra’s birthday amidst mountains, great food and better friends. I’m bursting with impressions and gratitude for the generosity of the property management, the time our friends spend cooking and feeding everyone, the epic 2-hour yoga session that has my legs saying, “Thank you, Mistress, may I have …
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Spring, San Francisco, sausages. Or wurst, to be exact. These things need to come together in my life more often. Also: hot pink pickled, deviled eggs? Need you. Love you. Miss you.
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Why, look at that! Our 99th Photo Flurry. I can’t think of a better way to welcome the approaching triple digits than with a massive collection of photos from my most recent visit to one of the prettiest places in all of California – San Francisco’s Sutro Baths. Once a lavish private bath house and museum, it burned down to the ground in the sixties, leaving behind a striking, skeletal carcass of rusty beams and crumbling concrete, with tides eroding its remnants …
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Last weekend, a bunch of friends and I packed our finest bikinis, meats and libations to spend a weekend in Hicksville – a desert “trailer palace” in Joshua Tree. Now, Hicksville is my new favorite place for glamping – that’s glamour-camping to you. Why glamping at Hicksville is good: you get the desert, a fire pit, s’mores and cooking under the infinite stars, but you also get a salt water swimming pool, a rooftop jacuzzi, WiFi, plumbing and adorable themed …
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All of my Europe-related articles from the April supertrip have gone live. To save you the trouble of combing through the Chinashop archives, I’ve created this handy chronological post. Pretend I’m your tour guide, and get ready to marvel, drool, absorb and above all, walk. I walked everywhere on this trip and loved it! Click the images below to see the articles. Rome – Tastes Like Ice Cream Gods and Gladiators – a Brief, Sticky Tour of Rome’s Top Attractions …
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These were taken during my first full [and I do mean full] day in Rome, and are but a taste of many, many more, which are coming to ChinaShop soon. Stay tuned for more Coliseum, Vatican Museum, Forum, and the jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring St. Peter’s Basilica. See also: EuroZoom 2011, Part 1. Morning outside my hotel Coliseum wall Katya 2008 Inside the Coliseum Exploring The Forum An grief-stricken dog inside the Vatican museum The tapestry hall in the Vatican museum is …
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